


Friends in high places

by IvvyQueen



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Comfort Food, Friendship, Gen, I have legitimately zero idea what to tag this, Or Is It?, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28900644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvvyQueen/pseuds/IvvyQueen
Summary: Fancy meetings and suits are not Leon's things, and neither it seems to be any of his friend's, so why not take the chance and a bite at something more normal for a night?
Relationships: Ashley Graham & Leon S. Kennedy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Friends in high places

Distant melodies soothed his soul, and tempted his boredom to further close his half-lidded stare.

His eyes travelled over the privacy of the giant room. Dark blue and ivory rained from the ceiling, in lights and furniture. Men in suits, of grey hair and full bellies and grins, chatted with champagne in their hands; women with dresses of all colors, cuts, some legs showing, others the backs and shoulders; few, none at all, with gloves and collars and perfect makeup and perfect hair, yet, bored safe for the lucky few who slithered away from their older politic companions and to their friends who held their cocktails close and safe.

Compared to the others, he hadn’t even bothered with himself. 

Leon looked more in duty than anything else, hidden near a corner, with no tie around his neck or bow, hardly fitting in the word ‘elegant’, his hands behind him and his eyes every so often bouncing to the bar, lit up in neon pink to stand out from the rest. His dirty blond hair, nothing special, parted like usual. At least he could brag about being decent enough to not have a stubble or a five o’clock shadow.

_ Oh Jerry, I heard you got another raise, how’s that million feeling? _ He imitated in his head, his eyes locked in place on a faraway group, who just happened to have most throw their head backs in laughter right as his thought finished.

_ Yeah, bet that million feels really nice to buy another yacht or get the votes, doesn’t it Jerry? God you annoying piece of- _

‘‘You could try and look a little thrilled, don’t you think?’’

His eyes snapped open, his throat tightened and his suit, loose and perfect fit, wrapped tighter around his chest, his arms and back.

When he turned, however, his entire body lost all tension.

‘‘Ashley…!’’

‘‘Hey, Leon. Been a while, don’t you think?’’

He breathed and shook his head, chuckling under his breath. ‘‘Really has, now come here.’’ He said, receiving her with arms wide open and a smile plastered on his face as she accepted the hug. 

‘‘How have you been?’’

‘‘Better, for sure. How’s daddy treating you?’’

‘‘Hah, like an employee.’’ He joked and pulled back. ‘‘Didn’t think he’d bring you here, after everything...’’

‘‘Oh, he doesn’t let me go anywhere without ten guards, or without him.’’ Ashley rolled her eyes and patted his arm, her done-up curls bouncing and her wrap off-shoulder cocktail dress glistening pink under the LED lights.

‘‘Are they any better than me?’’

‘‘Not as much fun.’’ She gestured to the circle where her father was. ‘‘Do you wanna go over there and say hello?’’

‘‘Maybe some other time, I don’t have any patience for politicians and fake smiles tonight.’’

‘‘Oh thank God,’’ her cheerful expression fell, the tiredness glowing through her sigh, the drop of her shoulders and her smile.

‘‘You’re done with it too, aren’t you?’’ He nudged her side, his smirk growing.

‘‘I’ve had to study for finals the past week and this wasn’t my idea of a relaxing Friday night.’’ She confessed and grabbed one of the martinis from the waiter that walked them by, downing half in one go.

‘‘Then what was it?’’

She looked around, stood on her tiptoes and leaned close to whisper in his ear. ‘‘If you get me out of here, I invite the cheeseburgers.’’

‘‘On it.’’

Leon snaked it around her shoulder, keeping Ashley close to his side as he guided her through the divided crowd, with his height and his arm covering her from recognition, past the temptation of the bar with his dry throat scratching the walls of his neck, and towards the dim-lit, unblocked exit.

When the LED was replaced with yellow streetlights, the neon with moonlight, the chatter with the distinct transit of the high parts of the city and the intoxicating smell of money and needlessly expensive suits was nothing but fresh air, Leon and Ashley groaned in unison.

‘‘Ugh, I feel like I can breathe again.’’

‘‘You can say that again.’’ Leon reached and undid the first and second button of his shirt. ‘‘Alright, what now?’’

‘‘The limo’s right around here, c’mon!’’ 

She wrapped her arms around his and dragged him just a little further up the street, and pushed him inside the car. 

Quick to ditch the heels for a more comfortable pair of black sneakers, Ashley turned to the chauffeur. ‘‘Can you take us to Martha’s Diner, please?’’

‘‘Are we picking up your friends again, miss?’’

‘‘Nah, it’s just us.’’

‘‘Very well.’’

‘‘Thanks, Kim.’’ Ashley thanked her and sat back down, raising her eyebrow when she noticed Leon cross his arms and snicker. ‘‘What? What’s so funny?’’

‘‘Using daddy’s car to sneak off is way different than I remember.’’

‘‘Oh shut up, Leon. As if you didn’t use government equipment to make fun of a Napoleon-wannabe with your cheesy one-liners.’’

The pair bursted and filled the back of the limousine with their laughter, loud enough to make the chauffeur wince at first, then just shake her head as she tried to listen in, passing under dozens of lights as they drove away from the rose zone, and downtown.

The honk of other cars faded, from many to zero, and only every so often one or two drove by and away, down the road or turning corners. 

The limo slowed and the chauffeur stopped in front of the main door. Not one soul inside, but he could tell it couldn’t be more than the classic establishment with checkered floor tiles, red leather booths and chairs, metal tables and mementos of the fifties that neither lived.

Ashley stepped out first, and Leon followed after, closing the door behind him.

‘‘Thanks for bailing me out, by the way. I thought I’d be stuck there forever.’’

‘‘No problem, not to be ungrateful to your dad for inviting me but, I’m still not used to all the fancy.’’

‘‘You’ll be, don’t worry. It comes with your line of job.’’

‘‘Really? Here I thought I only had to fight off crazy bad guys and rescue pretty blondes.’’

Ashley rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, ringing the baby bell above their heads, and sat down on the stool chairs rather than at a table. Her index tapped on the silver waiter bell, and patted the chair next to her.

The kitchen door pushed open by a hand, and soon Leon met with the warmest smile he’d ever seen from a middle-aged woman with tan brown skin, short black hair in a fancy pixie, and the most badass tattoo sleeve he’d seen in anybody ever before.

‘‘Well if it ain’t miss Graham. How are you, sweetie?’’

‘‘Hey Mar, I’m all good, how’s business?’’ 

‘‘Still a while before the drunk college kids get here, you’re in luck. And... who’s your friend over here?’’ 

‘‘Oh, this is Leon, I stole him from a party.’’ She said, patting his arm and leaning on the counter. ‘‘Can you bring me the usual?’’

‘‘Sure thing, and what can I get mister Stolen here?’’

‘‘Uhh, same as her.’’ Leon said, and pointed to Ashley. ‘‘Thank you.’’

The woman nodded and went back inside the kitchen, but not before he could notice the wink she threw at the young blonde.

‘‘You come here often, don’t you?’’ Leon asked, resting his chin on his palm.

‘‘Of course! Mar’s way better than any IHOP, so my friends and I come here to eat every time we want to celebrate something, but there’s usually ten guards with me.’’ Ashley commented, trying to hide the clear excitement that, for one night, there were none.

‘‘Well, as long as we don’t make her work overtime.’’

‘‘Mar’s open all day-...’’

Her mouth shut close, her porcelain face shone bright red and she raised her hand in the air to slap Leon’s arm, but he was too busy cracking up and shielding himself with his arms to notice she’d put her hand down.

‘‘It’s been ten months!’’ She shouted in a whisper, honey-gold eyes sparkling with rage and embarrassment. ‘‘You couldn’t just dismiss it like a normal person?’’

‘‘It was the funniest way you could’ve flirted with me, no way I’d let it go.’’ He bumped his shoulder against hers, right as Mar walked back out, their orders in hand and promptly placed each down.

Right before him, a mouth-watering cheeseburger dripping down onto the plastic plate, a portion of french fries, the salt sparkling like crystals and their bodies crispy, almost curled, and the sweetest, thickest vanilla milkshake he’d ever laid eyes on.

‘‘Holy…’’

‘‘Told you,’’ Ashley whispered, taking her own up to her lips, and bit down. A moan travelled out from her throat, pure ecstasy in her voice, ‘‘yep, still the best in the city.’’

Leon arched an eyebrow, and imitated.

He bit into glory, a symphony of flavors, spices; a hint of nutmeg in the cheese, melting on the patty, cooked to perfection so that it undid in his mouth with ease, but not when he squeezed it in his hands.

He swallowed and froze, blue stare vacant.

‘‘I think you just roped another client, Mar.’’ 

‘‘Of course I did, you doubt my food?’’ She asked with a smirk. ‘‘Alright, I got some things to take care of, let me know if you need anything, alright?’’

‘‘You got it, ma’am.’’ Leon muttered, his mouth behind his hand, diving into his dinner and with no intent on coming back, at all.

Ashley giggled at his demeanor, once handsome and dashing and cocky, completely erased by the hunger. 

But her heart ached, embarrassed at how easily she forgot he was more than an agent, underneath it all.

She remembered the kindness in his eyes, his inherent protectiveness, his cheesy jokes and even, if she dared to think about it a little longer, and risked a spiral of compliments that if said out loud would only inflate his ego, his kind, unfairly perfect smile.

‘‘You know, I never had a milkshake before.’’

Ashley inched back from her food, looked at his empty plate, except for the fries and the full drink, and blinked a couple of times. ‘‘Really?’’

‘‘Yeah. I guess it’s just one of those things you never really think of, so it flies by you, until someone makes you realize what you’ve missed.’’ He shrugged, leaning back just enough to straighten his posture. 

He took a straw, and slid it into the liquid. His mouth curled around the end, and he sipped the fluffy, snow-white drink. 

The sweetness overcame, but did not overwhelm him, and with the left-over taste of his dinner, it balanced the savory meat. A smile drew in his face, and for a moment, Ashley mirrored without noticing, smiling back.

‘‘Leon, do you ever wish your life was… normal, again?’’

‘‘Hm?’’ He turned his chair around, facing her directly.

‘‘I know you made a deal, and I just wonder if, you wished your life could be normal, if you wish you could do whatever you did before working for my dad.’’

Leon looked around the diner, pondering on his answer for a couple of seconds, and then some more.

‘‘I was a cop, for one day. And I do wonder how different my life would be, but I don’t regret the choice I made, or who I made it for. This,’’ he gestured to himself, the smile never leaving him, ‘‘is my normal. What I do is with the purpose of keeping people like you safe.’’

Her white dress and her pale skin did not help hide her blush, and she only thanked she chose a slight salmon color to put on her cheeks that night.

Much to her dismay, he seemed extremely pleased with himself, with making her smile and even blush, as much as she tried to hide it from him, and make the night worth something beyond their usual.

Their drinks finished in the comfortable silence of each other’s company, Ashley rested against Leon, head on his shoulder and eyes half closed.

Leon glanced at the clock, on the wall far across from them, and tilted his face. ‘‘It’s getting late, we should go back before your dad notices you’re gone.’’

‘‘Yeah, you’re right.’’ 

She backed off and stretched, placing the owed money on the counter. ‘‘Mar! We’re leaving!’’

‘‘It was a pleasure, ma’am!’’

‘‘Take care, you two!’’ The woman bid her goodbye from the kitchen, her voice echoing off the walls, and then only the sound of the bell ringing when the pair was left.

Leon led Ashley inside the limousine, locking the door behind them.

‘‘Back to the party, Kim. Thank you.’’ 

Ashley reached down and undid the laces of her sneakers, taking the heels back from the same compartment she left them in, and switching them. Leon just glanced out the window, avoiding his stare from travelling up her bare legs as she changed footwear.

‘‘I definitely am going back there as long as I stay here in Washington.’’ 

‘‘Wait, you're planning to leave?’’

‘‘Never do, but always have to. Occupational hazards, you know?’’ He rubbed the back of his sore neck and yawned, now that his stomach was full, Leon was sure he’d pass out the moment he touched his bed.

‘‘We could give you a ride home, you know? There’s enough space here.’’

‘‘Nah, don’t worry. Besides, your dad would figure out very quick you weren’t in there the last two hours.’’

Ashley smiled, reached inside her clutch, taking a paper and a pen in her hands then laying the purse flat on her lap for support.

Leon leaned forward in the slightest, trying to peek at the scribbling and writing she was doing. Ashley then lifted the paper in front of his face, between two fingers, and handed it over.

‘‘Well, when you’re back in the city and you feel like sneaking to Mar’s again, give me a call, will you?’’

Leon took the paper from her, and stored it in a pocket inside his jacket. ‘‘Will do.’’

The car stopped before the entrance, and with a tight hug from both sides’, Leon and Ashley parted with a hug, and a farewell to the night, just ten minutes before her father, and his bodyguards, got in.

‘‘Here you are! Where were you all night? I took my eyes off and you were gone.’’

‘‘I was in the party, with a friend.’’ She simply said, with a slight shrug and an innocent smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> **None of the characters here belong to me, neither does the franchise. This is a work of fiction for fun, by a fan and for fans.**


End file.
